Warp knitting machine level indicator



Nov. 16, 1954 w, 1*, BQYER 2,694,301

WARP KNITTING MACHINE LEVEL INDICATOR I Filed Sept. 14, 1949 llllnlunllllllll INVENTOR. W4L 7'5? 7. BOYE "ATTORNEY- States Patent Ufiice 2,694,301 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 WARP KNITTING MACHINE LEVEL INDICATOR Walter T. Boyer, Ridley Park, Pa., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application September 14, 1949, Serial No. 115,608 16 Claims. c1. 66-86 The present invention relates to knitting machines and particularly to devices which may be applied to the machines to indicate the relative positions of the reciprocating elements thereof.

The members of a warp knitting machine which manipulate the yarns to effect knitting thereof into fabric are the knitting bar assemblies, i. e., the needle bar, sinker bar, presser bar and guide bar assemblies. They are actuated by cams mounted on a common cam shaft driven by the main drive. The arrangement for obtaining the motion of any one of the assemblies, the sinker bar, for example, comprises one or more pivotable parallel levers for supporting the sinker bar spaced in a direction parallel to the cam shaft axis. The pivotable levers of a single assembly will be provided with cam followers which cooperate with one or more identical cams mounted on the cam shaft. Since the cam mechanism must be a type which positively reciprocates the cam followers in return as Well as advance movements, a cam mechanism may comprise a follower traversing a groove formed within a disc surface, or a pair of followers mounted on a single lever which separately follow the peripheries of a master cam and a countercam.

While the characteristics of a knitted fabric are to some extent determined by the angular adjustment with respect to each other of the various cams which control the separate motions of the needle bar, sinker bar, guide bars, and presser bar, the size of the loops formed in the yarns and the looseness with which they are knitted may be largely controlled without any change in the phase relationships of the cams once the cams are satisfactorily adjusted. Although the cams herein shown may be readjusted to adapt the machine for knitting various types of fabric, normally changes in the adjustment of the machine are made by shifting the ambits traversed by the needle bar and/ or the sinker bar without a change in time relationship of their movements with respect to the motions of the guide bars and the presser bar.

Shifts of the movement ranges are effected by adjusting the levers which support the respective bars with respect to a specific position of the cam followers attached thereto in engagement with the cams. Preferabiy, the cams are first rotated to a reference position whenever such an adjustment is to be made. Such an adjustment has the effect of repositioning the ambit traversed by the levers and the bar supported thereon without changing the amplitude of the ambit or the time relationship thereof with respect to the operation of the machine. Such adjustments are customarily made on the needle bar and sinker bar assemblies to bring about predetermined differences in the characteristics and quality of the knitted fabric.

An object of the invention is to provide means for indicating the adjustments of levers for supporting a knitting bar with respect to cam followers adjustably mounted on the levers. a paratus which may be readily adjustable to settings of the apparatus corresponding to desired fabric characterist' t is still another object to provide devices for indicating he positions of reciprocable knitting elements of Warp knitting machines which are readily applicable to existing equipment. Other objects. features and advantages will be apparent from the following description the invention and the drawing relating thereto in which Fig. l is an end elevation in section showing one embodiment of the invention applied to the knitting assem- Another object is to provide knitting blies of a warp knitting machine with portions of the machine omitted;

Fig. 2 is a side view of portions of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged pictorial view of a modified form of indicating device attached to a fragment of the machine;

Fig. 4 pictorially illustrates another modified indicating device; and

Fig. 5 illustrates still another modification.

In brief, the present invention comprises a warp knitting machine having devices which indicate the tilt adjustment of knitting bars with respect to a reference position or orientation of the means for reciprocating the bars. Specific tilt adjustments may thus be duplicated to obtain certain fabric characteristics.

Fig. 1 illustrates portions of a warp knitting machine of the type in which a cam and a countercam engage a pair of cam followers mounted on a lever to obtain reciprocable motion of a multiplicity of knitting elements mounted on a bar supported by the lever. A plurality of identical levers and sets of cams and cam followers are normally provided to reciprocate each knitting bar. For example, in Fig. 1 a needle bar 6 is supported by a plurality of levers 8 spaced apart regularly within the machine axially of the shafts shown in cross section. Two sets of guides 12 and 14 cooperate with the needles of the needle bar 6, a presser bar 16, and the elements of a sinker bar 15 to accomplish knitting of two warps of yarns 17 and 18 threaded through the separate sets of guide elements. The guides are reciprocated with respect to a pivot shaft 20 by a cam mechanism (not shown) driven from a cam shaft 22; the presser bar is supported by a lever 23 and a pivot shaft 230, the assembly consisting of the presser bar 16, the lever 23, and the pivot shaft 23a being reciprocated by another cam mechanism comprising a cam 36 mounted on the shaft 22. The guide elements are also reciprocated in a direction normal to the plane of Fig. l by a pattern mechanism which is another conventional cam mechanism (not shown). In a conventional machine, the various assemblies are reciprocated by cam mechanisms driven by a cam shaft 22 which supports the requisite cams. As the general construction of the machine herein illustrated is well known, only the cam mechanisms for reciprocating the sinker bar 15 and the needle bar 6 are shown so as to simplify description of the invention, although the other knitting bars may also be provided with the indicating mechanism as well.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a machine in which each cam motion is produced by a master cam and a countercam. For example, the lever 8 which supports the needle bar 6 is reciprocated during rotation of a master cam 24 and a matching countercam 25 secured on the shaft 22 and in engagement with the cam followers 27 and 28. Re-

ciprocation of the sinker bar 15 is likewise obtained by movement imparted to the support lever 30 by engagement of cam followers 32 and 33 attached thereto with a master cam 35 and a countercam 36 respectively. The master cam and the corresponding countercam of each cam assembly are shaped so that they maintain the cam followers of a single lever in contact with peripheries of both cams continuously. Since knitting machines vary considerably in length, identical pairs of matched cams may be spaced regularly along a cam shaft for maintaining the accuracy of movement of a single reciprocable assembly throughout the entire knitting region of the machine.

Cams of a conventional machine are rotatably adjust able with respect to the shaft 22. The present invention however is not concerned with adjustments of the cams relative to the shaft on which they are mounted but rather to the adjustment of the knitting bar support levers relative to the cam followers attached thereto. Such adjustments are obtained in the apparatus illustrated by shifting of the position of the shafts for the cam followers within slots provided in each of the levers. In lever 8, for example, slots 37 and 38 extend through the lever in a direction parallel with the axis of the shaft 22. Shafts for the cam followers 27 and 28 extend through these slots and may be secured relatively therewith by a clamp arrangement such as the nut 39 in threaded relationship with a portion of the cam follower shaft 40 as shown in Fig. 2. The ambit of reciprocal motion traversed by the needle bar 6 may be shifted to a lower or higher position by repositioning the cam followers 27 and 28 with relation to the slots 37 and 38 respectively. In adjusting the cam followers relatively with respect to the two slots 37 and 38, the cam followers may be considered as stationary during the adjusting procedure while the position of the lever, or the slots therethrough, is changed. Shifting of the position of one of the slots outwardly with respect to the cam or cam follower shaft normally secured therethrough results in a corresponding change of the other slot of the lever to a position further inwardly of the cam periphtlery engaged by the other cam follower attached to the ever.

Adjusting of the levers 8 or 30 relative to their respective cam followers produces changes in the ambit of the knitting elements controlled by either lever, which considerably affect the nature of the fabric formed by the machine. For example, the needle bar which normally reciprocates within a somewhat circular ambit may be adjusted to operate within an ambit which causes the tips of the needles 42 to swing further below the notch 44 of the sinker bar element to produce longer loops in the yarn being knitted than by the previous adjustment of the needle bar. This will result in the production of a fabric which is more loosely knitted and has less weight per running yard of the material. The ambit of the sinker bar may be shifted to obtain similar changes in the fabric. Usually the sinker bar and needle bar must both be adjusted when one or the other is changed to obtain optimum knitting conditions and experience in the operation of the machine serves to guide the operator in making the settings of the sinker bar and needle bar to obtain fabrics of different grades and characteristics. To enable an operator to readjust the machine to any desired sinker bar or needle bar setting, it is necessary to be able to accurately reproduce the settings corresponding to a desired species of fabric to be knitted.

As a principal feature of the invention, level indicators are mounted on any reciprocating assembly of a knitting machine the ambit of which may be adjustably shifted to cause the machine to produce a different fabric.

Fig. 1 illustrates tilt indicating devices mounted within a knitting machine. An arcuate scale 45 is secured to the hub portion of the lever 8 surrounding the shaft 10. When the cam shaft 22 is rotated to a standard or reference position, the tilt of the lever 8 may be adjusted with respect to its cam followers until a desired point on the scale is indicated by a pointer, only a fragment of which is shown but which is mounted on a stationary member of the machine. If preferred, an indicating device illustrated for measuring the tilt of the lever 30 which comprises a pointer 47 mounted on the hub portion of lever 30 and a scale 48 supported from a stationary portion of the machine, may be used.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modified indicator comprising a level device 49 of the spirit level type having arcuate slots 50 and 51 which may be mounted on the end of a bar for supporting knitting elements of a warp knitting machine. The device 49 is secured to an end portion 53 of a bar such as the needle bar 6 by a pair of cap screws 55 and 56 which extend through the slots of the device and may be tightened thereagainst to hold the device to any particular point along the scales 57 and 58 indicated by the cap screws 55 and 56. The scales 57 and 58 extend along the slots 50 and 51 which are arcuately formed along opposite sides of a common circle. Graduations of the opposite scales indicated by the same number are diametrically opposed. The indicator 49 is accurately oriented with respect to the pivot point coinciding with the center of the circle containing the slots when the cap screws 55 and 56 are in positions along the scales having the same number. When the bar of the knitting machine terminates in a suitable end surface, a scale may be scribed on the end surface of the bar instead of the device 49, and, if desired, a pointer formed on the device to indicate positions thereof with respect to the scale.

The devices are preferably utilized by rotating the cam shaft to a reference position in which the cams occupy a specific orientation which may be repeatedly duplicated whenever the devices 49 are readjusted. The levers to which the cam followers are attached are then adjusted with respect to the cam followers to give any predetermined tilt of the needle bar or the sinker bar corresponding to a specific setting of the level indicators as determined from points or members indicated on the scales of the indicator. The devices 49 may be adjusted by loosening the screws 55 and 56 and turning the devices until the bubble of the spirit level 60 is centered and then tightening the screws 55 and 56 to hold the devices at the selected settings.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified level indicator 62 which may be mounted on the ends of the bars in place of that shown in Fig. 3. A plate 64 of the device may be secured to the end of a bar by fasteners such as screws extending through the holes 65. An arcuate scale 66 is scribed or printed on the plate 64. A spirit level indicator 69 which may be secured to, or is integral with, a pivotable element 70, is supported in pivotable relationship with respect to the plate 64 by a screw 72 or other pivot member extending through the member 70 into the plate 64. The degree of pivoting of the indicator with respect to the plate 64 is indicated by a pointer 74 of the element along the scale 66. The indicator may be shifted with respect to the scale by rotating the screw 75 in bearing relationship with apertured lugs 77 and 78 and in threaded relationship with a detent 79 which has a pin 81 extending into the slot 80 in slidable relationship therewith. Movement of the detent 79 longitudinally with respect to the screw rotates the plate 70 and the liquid-filled level indicating tube 69 with respect to the plate 64.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modified spirit level device 85 which may be secured in a fixed position on the end of a knitting bar in the manner shown in Fig. l with the surface thereof that is curved convexly with respect to the lengthwise direction of the device facing upwardly. By being mounted on the end of the bar 6, the lever-indicating device is so disposed that the convex surface of its gauge faces away from the tilting axis of the lever 8, i. e., such convex surface is tangent to a line parallel to another line extending perpendicularly to the tilting axis. This device needs no adjustment when the tilt of a knitting bar is changed with respect to its cam follower. An arcuate tube 87 is filled with a liquid in a manner to form a bubble 88. The degree of tilting of a knitting bar is determined directly by observing the position of the bubble along a scale 89 of a tube.

In practicing the present invention, level indicators which are preferably identical are installed at spaced positions in a longitudinal direction of the machine. These indicators are exactly correlated so that they indicate a similar reading when each portion of the knitting bar to which they relate occupies an identical position throughout the machine with respect to some longitudinally extending reference member such as the main cam shaft. When once the indicators are correlated, they may be constantly used to check the alignment or accuracy of position of the various portions of a knitting bar as well as to obtain accurate readjustment of the bar throughout the machine when a different fabric is to be knitted.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A warp knitting machine comprising a needle bar, a sinker bar, guide bars, a presser bar, pivotable levers for supporting each bar, means for reciprocating the levers about their pivots, means for indicating the degree of tilt of any of said bars having cooperating portions mounted on a lever for the bar and a stationary member for registering the relative movement of the bar with respect to the stationary member.

2. A warp knitting machine comprising a needle bar, a sinker bar, guide bars, a presser bar, pivotable levers for supporting each bar, means for reciprocating the levers about their pivots, means for indicating the degree of tilt of any of said bars having a portion responsive to the movement of a needle bar and a lever attached thereto, and a stationary portion in cooperating relationship therewith to register relative movement of the bar and the lever with respect to the stationary portion.

3. A warp knitting machine comprising a needle bar, a sinker bar, guide bars, a presser bar, pivotable levers for supporting each bar, means for reciprocating the levers about their pivots, means for indicating the relative position of a bar within the machine comprising a scale member and a pointer separately mounted on the assembly including the bar and a lever therefor and on an adjacent stationary member of the machine, said scale member and pointer aligned to cooperatively register relative movement of the bar with respect to the stationary member.

4. A warp knitting machine as in claim 3 wherein the scale member is attached to the lever bar assembly and the pointer is attached to the stationary machine member.

5. A warp knitting machine as in claim 3 wherein the scale member is attached to the stationary machine memher and the pointer is attached to the lever bar assembly.

6. A warp knitting machine comprising a needle bar, a sinker bar, guide bars, a presser bar, pivotable levers for supporting each bar, means for reciprocating the levers about their respective pivots, and indicating means for determining the relative position of a bar within the machine comprising a spirit level device attached to the bar so that the liquid container thereof extends in a direction parallel to a normal of the tilting axis of the bar.

7. A machine as in claim 6 wherein the level device is attached to the end surface of the bar.

8. A machine as in claim 6 having a level device attached to the end surface of the bar comprising an arcuate transparent tube having a scale readable along its outer arcuate surface and containing a liquid and a gas bubble.

9. A machine as in claim 6 having a level device attached to and adjustable with respect to the end surface of a bar comprising a plate element having arcuate slots formed with respect to radii having a common center, a screw extending through each slot into the bar for securing the device to the bar, a spirit level indicating tube secured to the plate, and a scale on the device for indicating the orientation of the device with respect to the end surface of the bar.

10. A machine as in claim 6 having a level indicator device attached to and adjustable with respect to the end surface of the bar comprising a plate element having arcuate slots extending therethrough, screws extending through the slots into the bar, a transparent level indicating liquid container secured to the plate element, and a scale on the end surface of a bar adjacent the edges of the plate for indicating the orientation of the device with respect to the end surface of the bar.

11. A machine as in claim 6 having a level indicating device attached to and a portion of which is adjustable with respect to the end surface of the bar comprising a base plate, means for securing the base plate to the end surface of the bar, a plate element pivotably supported on the base plate, a transparent level indicating liquid container secured to the plate element, a pointer attached to the plate element, a scale on the base plate extending along an arc traversable by the pointer, and adjustable means for rotating the plate element relative to the base plate.

12. A warp knitting machine comprising a knitting bar, a lever for supporting the knitting bar, the lever being pivotable with respect to an axis, means for reciprocating the lever about its axis, and means for indicating the degree of tilt of the lever, said means being attached to an assembly comprising said lever and the bar supported thereby,

13. A warp knitting machine comprising a needle bar, a sinker bar, guide bars, a presser bar, a lever for supporting each bar, each lever being pivotable with respect to an axis, means for reciprocating the levers about their axes, and means attached to an assembly consisting of the needle bar and the lever for supporting the needle bar for indicating the degree of tilt of said lever, and means attached to an assembly consisting of the sinker bar and the lever for supporting the sinker bar for indicating the degree of tilt of the lever for supporting the sinker bar.

14. In a warp knitting machine comprising a needle bar, a sinker bar, guide bars, a presser bar, a pivotable lever for supporting each bar, and means for reciprocating the levers about their respective pivots; means for indicating the degree of tilt of a bar and its corresponding supporting lever with respect to the tilting axis thereof comprising at least one portion of said means mounted on the assembly comprising said bar and said lever in relatively movable relationship with an index for said means.

15. In a warp knitting machine comprising a needle bar, a sinker bar, guide bars, a presser bar, a pivotable lever .for supporting each bar, and means for reciprocating the levers about their respective pivots; indicating means for determining the relative position of a bar within the machine comprising a spirit level having an upwardlyfacing surface that is curved convexly with respect to the lengthwise direction of the level, said level being attached to the bar so that the curved surface is tangent to a line parallel to another line perpendicular to the tilting axis of the bar.

16. In a warp knitting machine comprising a knitting bar, a lever for supporting the knitting bar, the lever being pivotable with respect to an axis, and means for reciprocating the lever about its axis; indicating means for deterrnining the relative position of a bar within a machine comprising a spirit level attached to an assembly comprising a lever and the knitting bar associated therewith, said level having an upwardly-facing surface that is curved convexly and being attached to the assembly so that the curved surface is tangent to a line parallel to another line perpendicular to the tilting axis of the bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,456,431 Frank May 22, 1923 1,898,162 Bair Feb. 21, 1933 1,931,730 Klay Oct. 24, 1933 2,419,222 Lambach Apr. 22, 1947 2,468,395 Fredin Apr. 26, 1949 

